United we collapse Press FINANCIALTIMES Gang

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paper did not appear.

Today they strolled in calmly announced that they intended putting in a shift.

We have no intention of allowing cavalier whims to dictate whether this journal, so essential to British freedoms, appears.

We called in these wreckers and told them in no uncertain terms. Either they buckled down or they were sacked.

We prepared forms for them to sign. They read as follows:

'We menials in the National Graphical Association do most humbly beg pardon for taking part in totally unwarranted industrial action against the guardians of our nation's freedoms. We hereby declare that we are legally liable for all the losses incurred by the aforesaid proprietors over the past decade and we give full authority to the proprietors to drag us into the courts and to seize from us every penny we possess.

"Furthermore, we do solemnly swear that no future action in any way detrimental to the newspaper barons will be contemplated by all or any of us lower forms of human existence. We agree that our union is a conspiracy against civilised society as you know it and promise that it will organise in future nothing more adventurous than a day's outing to the brewery."

This toughly formulated statement was drawn up at an By 5.59pm the first of those little lead words were clattering off their quaint old machines.

It is true of course that we shall drag the NGA chapel through the courts. This was always our intention. We are satisfied that the Fleet Street proprietors are now all acting in accord and together.

We are each looking number one.

It is the only way we know how. We would like to stand together. We would like to stand shoulder to shoulder. But no-one can force us to show solidarity. However much they threaten. After all. We are the ones who won't give in to blackmail.

ILABOUR MOVEMENT